Why Most Developers Can’t Freelance

“I think a lot of those people have the ‘impostor’ syndrome? I mean that they [think they] aren’t good at something 🙂 When they are. So if they charge more, they will feel bad or guilty. Other than that, marketing itself is also a big one 🙂 I changed my marketing and I got like boom a client there and here, instantly lol. It takes time to learn it though. It’s very specific.”

It IS very specific.

In fact, it’s a whole other skillset. One that’s almost the opposite of what being a developer takes. It’s not logical or rational or black and white. It’s an art, not a science. Which is why I think developers tend to struggle with it.

And, as a result, avoid freelancing like the plague.

I was fortunate to get thrown to the wolves early in life.

Working face-to-face sales…

And, so desperate I HAD to figure it out.

And, the thing that got hammered into me. The thing that once I really “got” it, I suddenly felt like I could sell anything to anybody… was that sales is a process. A very definite and repeatable process.

And, when you figure out the process for the thing you’re selling…

You can do it over and over and over…

And, it becomes almost effortless.

My first sales manager beat that into me.

And, I’m glad as hell he did.

Now, here’s the thing… selling your freelance services IS a process, as well. It’s a definite and repeatable process. And, once you understand it, you can do it client after client after client.

That doesn’t mean you’ll land EVERY client.

But, you’ll land them more often than not.

And, quickly have more people wanting to hire you than you can handle.

Then, you can charge more. Your freelance income not only goes up, but it’s a lot more stable. You feel a lot more confident and secure. And, you’ll have the freedom to do the things you want to do.

All you gotta do is learn the process.

In any case, there’s a process for doing all this, specifically, on Upwork, as well. I figured out one that worked great for me and got me more clients than I could ever handle. And, I’m willing to share it with you.